The evolution of the Parterre d'eau

Abstract

The Parterre d'eau of Versailles, the important area of the gardens directly adjacent to the château on the western axis of the gardens, underwent several changes in form and appearance in its early history before it achieved the state which has survived for the past 300 years (figure 1). Changes in the château, in garden fashions, in the dominant artists and ministers at Versailles, as well as the whim of Louis xIv, all played their part in the evolution of its appearance. The history of the Parterre d'eau and its decoration is interesting not only in its own right, but also as an indication of the forces which shaped the gardens of Versailles as a whole.